“I’ll just share with Danielle and Jenna.” Elaine stood up from where she sat. Should she brought one for herself? Stupid of her, she did not know. She was about to walk towards Danielle and Jenna’s tent when Tan stopped her and held her hand – which he immediately let go.
“Just look how small their tent is. Their bags alone would take up all the space in the tent,” he said, pointing to Danielle’s tent which was a few meters away from where they were.
He’s right, Elaine agreed quietly. Danielle brought a lot. She hired three porters to carry their baggage up the mountain. These apart from what Jenna, brought along with her.
Many different things occupied Elaine’s thoughts these past few days. Bringing a tent slipped her mind altogether and she just packed a few hours before the trip. What would she do now? Sleep outside than try to fit herself with Danielle and Jenna?
Elaine shivere
“I-is she having a heart attack or something?” asked Richard. He’s almost stuttering getting his tongue tangled up when he saw Elaine having difficulty trying to catch her breath.If Tan had his way, he wanted to kill Richard right then and there. But he let him run away when he saw his burning glare.Tan knew better. Elaine wasn’t having a heart attack, she just felt like she was having one. Her eyes were out of focus, she looked like she was separated from her surroundings while extreme fear was clear from her enlarged eyes.With such a heavy heart Tan sat beside her. He took her cold and trembling hands from her chest. It was like he was repeatedly being punched in the chest as she held them.Using her thumb, he wiped the tears streaming from her eyes. He saw her blinked then stared at her though the gaze was still not yet focused.Tan gently squeezed her palm.“Look at me, Elaine. I’m here. It’s
It was four o’clock in the afternoon when they reached Ranger’s Station. Like before, Danielle and the group chose Vizcaya trail. After tipping the tour guide, Tan came up to her.“The police station is close by. I’ll go with you to file a complaint and blotter Richard before we go home.”“I-I don’t have plans to file a case against him,” she replied.“After what the guy did to you? You were almost…” Tan uttered in disbelief.Elaine raised her eyes at him, studied him nervously. Did he witness her panic attack last night? She can’t remember. She did not even know how long the episode lasted or how it really ended.“There were witnesses…” said Tan. As if he could read the questions on her mind. “That asshole assaulted and harassed you. He deserved to be in jail but you won’t put him in there?” he asked her with
Elaine forced herself to take her gaze away from Tan. Although she didn’t want to, but her eyes voluntarily landed on Janine who remained quietly seated in her chair. She gracefully took the water goblet on the table and slowly drank it.Elaine flinched when she felt Marco gentle squeeze on her shoulder. She raised her eyes at him. Marco looked away. His jaw flexed when he saw the tears in her eyes. Before the tears begin to fall, Marco hurriedly geared her towards the exit.One last time, Elaine turned to look at Tan. He was also looking at them. The emotion that’s evident in his eyes was unreadable to her, for her own eyes have been blurred with tears.She bit her lip hard, her chin quivered as she tried to rein her emotion. She wanted to cry but he was being held back by Marco’s tight hold.While walking out of the restaurant, Elaine wished Tan would run after her. Wished that he would take her hand and explain to her why he was with
Tito Ralph, sprang in front of Marco soon as he opened the front door. The old man had his arms crossed, glaring at him.“You’re frequently home late, Marco. I passed by the station, they said you left at five in the afternoon. It’s already twelve o’clock, and you just got here.”Marco took off his shoes and put them in the shoe rack near the door.“Did you meet up with her again?” he asked.He straightened up. “We just ate outside, Uncle.”“Marco…”He smiled. “I’ll just take a shower, uncle. I already stink.”Tito Ralph followed him with his worried gaze.Marco sat by the side of the bed when he entered his room. He took out his cell phone from the pocket of his leather jacket. He started scrolling his gallery photos, paused and stared at Elaine’s photos he took when he asked her to fit the clothes he bought for her self-made-fianc
Elaine’s head was spinning. Her eyes were begging him to spare her but the man didn’t even flinch a little.Then the elevator door opened. When the guy let go of her, Elaine automatically touched her neck, coughing hard, gasping for air. Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor sitting.The guy squatted beside her. “This is the price you need to pay for being alive, Elaine.”Elaine was slowly drifting off but she heard what he said. In a blink of an eye, she saw flashes of images and noises burst through.“This is the price you need to pay for turning your back on your father, Elaine!”“Die! Die! Just Die!”Elaine went literally still. Her whole body trembled in fear. She couldn’t tell where the fear was coming from or when it’ll end...August 18, 2017QuezonCity, Philippines
PRESENT TIMETAN quickly put his right hand between the elevator doors to stop it from closing. When it opened, it revealed Elaine slumped on the floor- trying to catch her breath.“Elaine…”She seemed trapped in her own world, but she looked up at him anyway. Her troubled and alert gaze darted at him. Although she seems to be looking through him, he saw the very same emotion in her eyes as that from Benguet.Fear.As if another person will attack or attacked her. His throat tightened. He went closer to her and kneel down in front of her.“Stay with me, Elaine. Those flashbacks weren’t real. You can get through it,” he said. His voice calm and soothing.Elaine’s tear fell from her eyes. Tan's eyes followed her hand as she touched her neck. Fingers that left a mark on her smooth and fair skin didn’t escape his sig
Continuation of flashback...Before Elaine entered the private room and started to walk towards him, Tan has been staring at her. He tried not to, but he can’t help but follow her every step as she approached.He wanted to move, go to her, reach for her. But he knew it was impossible and she won't even like it so he had no choice but to stay. Tan sat with his back on the headboard and wait until Elaine comes near.His eyes were fixed on her. He didn’t notice when Janine stood or if she said goodbye before she went out to leave them two alone.Elaine was staring back at him. When she stopped in the centre of the room- one meter from him, she stared at him over in a swift gaze. Then her eyes fell down to his feet which were still in a cast.She didn’t seem surprised at what she saw. She surely would have heard about his bone fracture. The gir
Present TimeMarco was pinned to the ground he was standing while looking at the pair inside the elevator. He heard everything. He was present a few seconds since Tan went in to be with his wife in the elevator.Elaine’s cellphone has been off for several days so he tried to contact her with the help of Anne. It was him who thought of pranking her to get her out of hiding. He was successful, he just failed on the part that he wasn’t able to save her from whoever hurt her a while ago.But whoever that son-of-a-bitch was, will definitely pay.Marco blinked when he saw Elaine opened her trembling lips.“I-I need money…” she said softly with a fearful voice. “So they could not hurt me. So they won’t hurt us. It’s my fault… They shouldn’t hurt our baby…”Marco balled his fists. His chest tightened when he saw her having a hard time. But when he unintentionally shifte